


Pleading the Fifth

by Invida



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-04
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-02-28 04:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2719265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Invida/pseuds/Invida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coincidence? I think not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pleading the Fifth

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers/Timeline** : post _Donut Run_  
>  **Characters** : Veronica, Logan  
>  **Rating** : PG-13, R for some swears  
>  **Disclaimer** : I know the law, and the law would win.  
>  **Notes** : Originally posted elsewhere in Feb 2006  
>  **Summary** : Coincidence? I think not.

Veronica had been putting this off for too long. Duncan had been gone for weeks now and it was only a matter of time before the Kanes remembered they were still paying for his hotel room and cancelled its payments. 

She was just searching for one last thing - she would be out of there before anyone noticed her. She was exploring under the bed and didn't hear the hotel room door open and close again. 

"What the hell are you doing here?"

She shot straight up and turned to face Logan who was standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Now she remembered why she'd put this off. She'd told herself that it was because she didn't want to see Duncan's empty room again, knowing he wouldn't be back there. But just as much a reason was that she just didn't want any unpleasant run-ins that were sure to happen with Logan; that were sure to happen right now.

"Logan," she greeted him with an edge in her voice and went back to looking under the bed.

"As entertaining as it is to see you on all fours, that doesn't answer my question." He dropped his knapsack at the door and leaned against it, watching what she was doing.

"You were being rude. You _are_ being rude," she said, reaching as far as she could under the bedframe, feeling the floor and finding nothing.

"And you're in my place uninvited," he said walking into the room. "So really, whose manners are worse?"

She sat back on her calves and looked up at him. "I'm just getting my stuff before Celeste can have it thrown away," she said, pointing to the box full of her possessions at the end of the bed.

"So you just broke in?"

"I didn't break in. I have a key, remember?" she said as she held up her keycard. 

He flopped down on the bed, while she moved over to the bedside table, rummaging through the drawer and checking the shelves. "Well, the guy who gave it to you doesn't live here anymore, but I still do. Remember what happened the last time you showed up where I lived uninvited? You should have more respect."

She turned to him. "Respect? That's a good one coming from you. I thought I was having more respect by being here at a time when I figured you wouldn't be."

"You figured wrong."

"Really? Huh." She looked at her watch mockingly. "Well, according to her schedule this is _Mrs._ Casablanca's usual boy toy time. What's the matter? Trouble in playmate paradise?"

Logan lay back on the bed clasping his hands behind his head. "You could say that. Turns out my MIA roommate has a more attractive bank balance than I do and, well, I just couldn't measure up after that. But then I'm sure you suspected that would happen."

She got up and moved to the other side of the bed to check the other table. "Not sure where you're going with that. But maybe if you quit yammering at me, I'd find what I'm looking for and be out of your hair."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." He rolled over to look at her, leaning on his elbows.

"Can't say I do, so if you're not going to explain it to me, can you please just stay out of my way?"

"You knew about Duncan all along. You helped him set it up."

She hesitated only slightly and hoped he wasn't watching carefully. Her mask back intact, she replied, "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"You already used that lie."

"And you're a human lie detector now? Well, I suppose if you've told enough you'd be able to -"

"Don't give me that crap," he interrupted. "You think I don't know you?" He pulled himself up to a sitting position, facing her.

She stood up and crossed her arms, cocking her head at him. "Yes, actually, I often think you don't."

"Tell yourself that all you like if it makes you feel better about the way you treat me, but don't think for a second that I'll ever underestimate how devious you can be."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm going to take that as a compliment and leave on a high note," she said. She turned to exit the room and picked up her box on the way out. She hoped that would end the conversation and she could do her best to get out of there, but Logan followed her out to the living room.

"I thought you were looking for something," he said, dropping down into a corner of the couch, and leaned back with his arms up on the couch back and armrest. She never understood how he always looked like so damn relaxed even when he was torqued. She knew that despite the long draping limbs, he was tense and ready for a fight.

She turned back to him with the box on her hip. "Well, I've given up, okay? I'd think you'd be happy I was going."

"Jesus Christ, Veronica, will you just tell me what it was?"

She huffed, "Fine. A USB drive."

He stood and slid his hand in his front pocket. "You mean this?" he asked pulling out a small green drive by its lanyard and twirling it around his finger.

She dropped the box and made three paces across the room to grab it from his hand, but before she could, he held it high above her. "Ah, ah, ah. What do you say?" He wore that smirk she wished she could hate. 

"How about 'Fuck you'?" she asked in a sing-song voice.

"That's 'Fuck you, please.'" He released it into her palm.

She grasped it for a moment, relishing its warmth. "Did you look at it?" she asked, wrapping the lanyard around the tiny drive and slipping into her own front pocket.

He sat back down, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He held his hands up in question. "Why would I bother? I'm sure it's password locked with triple encryption, and I'm not an heir to a software dynasty and I don't work on the night staff at the computer lab. Do I get to know what's on it?"

"Nope." She moved back to where she dropped the box, picked it up, and held it in front of her. "Just stuff." The least she could do for Meg now was keep the last of her secrets.

"Nothing to do with Duncan's whereabouts then?"

"I've told you before, I've got no idea where he went."

"Yeah. You're nothing if not consistent." 

There was a sadness in his voice and she realized she was probably the only person who ever really heard it and understood it. She never knew if Duncan really got Logan even with all their "best friends" talk. They were guys, after all. From what she could tell, guys just dealt with crap like that by punching each other in the arm and grunting and somehow that covered all forms of greeting, bonding, and dealing with emotional baggage.

She watched him sadly. He was tracing the couch seams with his fingernail. It was times like this that she thought that she might be able to forget everything and reach out to him. But he suddenly broke both their reveries by turning back to her and saying, "So you got everything?"

She nodded. "Where did you find the drive anyway?" she asked.

"Where you were looking. Duncan's room. I found it when I was looking for some clues as to where he could've gone."

"Clues?" she asked, laughing, shifting the box back to her hip. "Who do you think you are now? A Hardy Boy?" She wished she could have come up with something better than one of his recycled barbs.

"Right. 'Cause you're the only one who can figure out a conspiracy around here. You know, I was all ready to start feeling sorry for you, after I finished revelling in your humiliation until I really thought about it, and it was just too perfect and complicated a plot for you to not be involved."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You've been watching too many X-Files re-runs."

He smirked at her. "Uh huh. If it's just a coincidence, why does it feel so contrived? You're just jealous because you've been so lousy at mystery solving these days."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked frowning.

"Hey, remember that pesky little problem of me being charged for murder again that you said you'd help me out with? Find out anything? 'Cause I'm still not cleared of any charges last time I checked."

"Yeah, well, I've kinda been preoccupied lately, what with being dumped by a runaway boyfriend and all."

"So you're still going to pretend you know nothing about the prodigal Kane, huh?"

She sighed, putting the box down on the coffee table, finally tired of shifting it from hip to hip. She turned back to him and crossed her arms. "Do you really want to start this? Stacking up what you didn't know about Duncan against what I didn't know about some certain missing evidence? Or maybe we should go even further back and list all the things you did and all the things I did and see if we're even yet."

He shook his head, smiling ironically. "And here I actually thought your dad was going to be discreet."

"You don't give either of us enough credit. I happen to have other sources," she said.

"You're getting soft, Veronica. I expected retaliation a long time ago."

"I think you punished yourself enough just by watching them. You did, didn't you?"

Logan didn't reply, but looked down at his knees, guiltily. She shook her head. "Damn it, Logan." 

He looked back up at her, surprised. "That's all you're going to say? You're not mad?"

She threw her arms up. "Of course I'm mad! I can't believe you had to see them, after all the pain they've caused, and then to destroy them - you've got no idea how angry I am. But I also know who took them in the first place and I'm madder at him than you right now."

"So basically, I'm still on your shit list, just further down."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Thanks. You're too kind. But I haven't forgotten that you haven't fessed up to your involvement in Duncan's disappearance yet." 

Frustrated, she sighed, and said, "What do you want me to say Logan? That I helped him? Even if that were true, you can't prove it. Not even the FBI can." She tried to look smug despite the ache she felt when she talked about Duncan being gone again.

"You could have told me."

"No, we couldn't."

He winced at that statement. It was a momentary flutter of his eyes, but she'd seen it. She wasn't sure if it was the bald statement of her lack of trust in him or if it was because she used the word we and it didn't include him.

He looked back up at her. "What do you think I would have done, Veronica? No matter what, he's still my best friend."

"That was never the point," she said, trying to sound sympathetic.

"Then enlighten me," he said, leaning back on the couch, arms spread out.

She sat on the opposite arm of the sofa, facing him. "There was nothing you could have done. After me, you'd be the next person the Feds would suspect," she said, pointing to his ankle propped up on the coffee table. "They were tracking you from the moment Duncan went missing."

"That doesn't mean you couldn't have told me."

"You're already in enough shit with the police. If you knew, or if you could even be somewhat implicated, how would that look for your case being an accessory to kidnapping? You had to be in the dark. The more people that knew, the more likely it would be that we'd get caught."

"I could have put on an act. As you are so constantly pointing out, I'm always lying. I could have lied for him."

"Do you not get it? No one wanted to put you at risk!"

"And do you not get it? That doesn't matter to me!" he yelled.

"Hey, he left me too, you know! So what does arguing about it matter now? It's done. He's gone and he's not coming back. So what would you rather believe, Logan? That Duncan used you and left without saying good-bye or that he left protecting you?"

He sat back and turned away from her, elbow on the armrest, fingertips at his lips, staring off at a spot on the wall. She took this as her cue to leave. She picked up her box. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the keycard and tossed it on the coffee table before turning towards the door.

"Veronica," Logan called to her just as her hand reached the door knob. "What do you believe?"

She turned back to him. "That he did the right thing."

"Yeah, well, the right thing sucks," he said as she walked out the door.

"No arguments there," she muttered, not caring if he heard her.


End file.
